Where is Tomorrow?
by JD Santiago
Summary: A struggle to stop Akito from erasing Kyo's memories turns into a twisted plot of tears and hurts when the price is losing his father's love. What will Kyo do? How will his actions affect the Sohmas? And what are Akito's attentions to begin with?
1. When it rains, it pours

**Explanation:**

I know I've put up this fic before. The reason I was forced to delete it was because someone sent me a message saying that I copied this fic out of somewhere. I had to delete this and try to sort out the mess I made. But after everything was clear (it is clear that I did not steal this fic anywhere! I may have inspiration of it somewhere, but I thought of the story alone!), I guess it's safe to repost. Hopefully I won't get in trouble with this AGAIN. *sweatdrop*

As always, please read and review. Thanks a bunch again!

Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba or any of its characters. The only thing I'm making out this fanfic is sheer enjoyment of both myself and my readers. Thank you!

Last note: There will be slight mentions of Yukiru every now and then. If you don't like it, then don't read. Although I honestly think you won't notice the pairing anyway. Veeery vaguely indicated… :D

And yes, Akito will still be a guy here. I have finished the anime, but only briefly touched the manga-verse. Sorry. ^^

XXX

**Where is Tomorrow?**

**JD Santiago**

**Rating: **T (occasional swearing, blood, violence)

**Genre: **Drama/Family

XXX

"_**When it rains, it pours. And when it pours, it floods."**_

Kyo Souma lay on his back on the roof with a distressed look on his face. Earlier that day, Shigure had informed him that Akito wanted to see him later in the afternoon…alone. This came as a shock for the bearer of the cat spirit.

He had always thought that Akito wouldn't want him anywhere near the main house.

_Then again,_ Kyo thought, _the only reason that bastard wants me around is because he'll have someone else to play with besides the damn nezumi. But what I still don't get why he wants to see me alone…_

"Ano, Kyo-kun?"

Kyo looked down from his perch to see Tohru looking out through the window. "What is it?"

"Lunch is ready, Kyo-kun. We're all waiting for you!" She replied cheerfully despite Kyo's rather annoyed tone.

Kyo huffed before he proceeded to slide down from the roof to the window and then to the wooden floor where Tohru and Yuki were waiting.

Kyo raised an eyebrow at the sight of Yuki. "I didn't expect you'd wait, nezumi."

Yuki eyed him coolly and shrugged. "Tohru-san insisted on it. And besides, Shigure's rantings are an even worse pain when I'm listening to it alone."

"All right then, since we're all here, let's go join Shigure-san downstairs for lunch." Tohru said cheerfully, taking Kyo by the hand and Yuki by the arm before heading to the dining room to Shigure.

As they went down the stairs, Kyo's eyes wandered to the entangled arms of Yuki and Tohru with a look of masked pain. It had been a month now since Tohru had made her choice between them, and she had chosen Yuki.

Kyo had said, no, insisted, it was no big deal and that he couldn't care any less about Tohru's feelings.

Deep down however, he knew he could not use that lie against himself, for ever since he had already known that he was in love with Torhu.

But it eventually turned out that she loved Yuki Souma.

Another thing that the rat had taken away from the cat. Kyo bitterly thought every now and then. But even though things turned out differently, nothing will change…

Even if Tohru did love him in return, what good will it do? After all, the cat can, and should, never love, because their ultimate fate would be a caged and tormented eternity.

Still though, his hate intensified by his anger towards Yuki fueled him to become more determined to beat the hell out of the other boy.

If he had lost Tohru to him, at least, Kyo hoped, he'd still win the bet.

"Hora, Kyo-kun!"

"Ah? What is it?"

Shigure smiled strangely at him, making a swishing gesture with his chopsticks. "You're lost in space again. You sure have a lot in mind. If you keep on wandering in dreamland like that, you won't be able to eat anything at all! And you do know you'll need all your strength later!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you baka inu." Kyo said, understanding the hidden message behind the dog's words.

"Later? What's going to happen later, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked.

"Er…" Kyo paused. Shigure had informed him that his meeting with Akito should be kept secret. The only people who knew he would be coming were Hatori, Kureno, Shigure and himself. How was Kyo going to get out of this one now?

"Oh you forgetful Kyo-neko!" Shigure suddenly interrupted in his annoying sing-song voice. "Didn't you mention you were going to visit Kazuma-sensei today? Shame on you for forgetting, considering that Kazuma-dono must be missing you an awful lot!"

"Argh, stop calling me that!" Kyou growled as he threw his fork at Shigure who effortlessly dodged it. "Yeah, that's it. I was going to visit Shishou today. It's been a long time since I've gone seen him."

If only Shigure didn't use that annoying tone and that annoying nickname he had made up for him, Kyo would have been grateful to the older man.

Tohru seemed to have bought it, the ever trusting girl she was, and continued eating. Yuki however had a skeptical look on his face. But whatever suspicion the pale boy had, he did not mention it.

_Well, anyway…_ Kyo thought. _Now that I think about it, maybe I should visit Shishou after dealing with Akito. After all, it's been a month since I've last seen him. And truth be told…I do miss Shishou._

Kyo already had a bad feeling about today's visit to the Family head.

And to make things worse, as he drew near the walled Souma estate, it began to rain.

"Just my darn luck!" Kyo grumbled as he hurried inside the building, for he didn't have an umbrella and was now soaking wet.

He was greeted at the door by Kureno.

"You look like you swam an entire sea to get here, Kyo." Kureno said with a small smile as he handed the boy a towel.

"No, it's just the fucking weather." Kyo grumbled. The rain always had its way to annoy the hell out of him.

"So…Hatori-san is waiting for you outside Akito-sama's room. Akito had ordered for Hatori's presence as well as yours for the meeting." Kureno informed Kyo as the cat dried himself up.

"Sure. Thanks for the towel." Kyo said as he handed to Kureno the wet towel before heading to Akito's room.

The pair walked the long way to Akito's room. To Kyo, it felt like forever until they got there.

As Kureno had said, Hatori was waiting outside the room, looking very solemn.

He greeted Kyo with a nod which the orange haired boy returned.

"Uh, I'll be waiting outside." Kureno bowed before sliding the paper door to Akito's room.

Inside the dark room sat the Jade Emperor of the Souma House.

His dark eyes registered the two men standing outside his room. A smile formed on his lips as he whispered. "Well, don't stand idly out there in the cold. Come on in."

Cautiously, Kyo and Hatori entered the room and knelt down on the tatami flooring with Hatori a good distance away from Kyo. Kureno then closed the door behind them.

_Well, this is it…_ Kyo thought as he whispered. "You asked for me?"

Owari


	2. Cruelty is like a vice grip

A/N: Hi guys!

Well, this is the second chapter of the story. This will be the last update I'll be having in quite a while…again.

We've got classes again! I'm second year in college at last! I can't believe it!

I won't keep you waiting though, here's the chapter 2 of my story.

Disclaimer: If you've read Chap.1, this won't be any different. ^^

"_**Cruelty is like a vice grip—crushing you**__** bit by bit while savoring that even your breaking bones can feel the pain."**_

Another smile, this time a seemingly sadistic one, came from Akito as he spoke. "Hello, Kyo. It seems you are doing well, no?"

"Uh, yes. I'm good." Kyo answered uneasily. Hatori noticed his tension and gave him an encouraging glance.

Akito's eyes narrowed a bit, but his smile was still there. "And how are Yuki and that Tohru girl doing?"

Kyo bit his lip, wondering where this conversation was headed. "They are all right as well."

"Still being in their happy relationship, I assume?"

"Shouldn't you ask them that yourself?" Kyo felt his suppressed anger get the better of him. "And what is it to you anyway? Why the hell are you asking me these things?"

"I ask because I can!" Akito snapped, standing up. "And you will only say what I want you to say, foolish cat! Now answer me properly before you find yourself caged sooner than expected!"

Kyo's hands balled into fists as he let out a strained sigh. "Their relationship…is still going strong. It will probably last for a long time."

"Good." Seeming to have regained his calm, Akito continued. "Still though, do you wish to know why I am asking all these questions?"

Kyo remained silent. Akito smirked as he approached Kyo, his black eyes filled with sadistic mirth. "It is because I know that knowing that the Honda girl and Yuki are together so happy makes you suffer! And you deserve nothing but suffering and pain, you little monster!"

Anger, fear and pain mixed together in Kyo's heart as he tried his best to maintain his calm exterior.

"At first, I thought I should do something about her, that meddling Honda brat trying to steal Yuki—MY Yuki—away from me! But she will be dealt with soon. It pleases me so much that this little setback causes you so much pain that I intend to let it last…for a little while…" Akito hissed, his hand reaching to grab a handful of Kyo's orange hair. "…Until I see you break apart!"

Kyo then spat out angrily, his eyes holding a defiant look. "Is this all you wanted to see me for, bastard?"

Akito's smirk disappeared immediately as his face became a mask of rage. "How dare you talk back to me, worthless creature!"

He threw Kyo down the floor and kicked him hard in the stomach.

"Akito-sama!" Hatori exclaimed as he rushed to Kyo's aid.

Akito breathed deeply before he spoke again, his voice cold and harsh. "I have you summoned here for a far deeper purpose, neko! I am here to see to it that every last bit of happiness you have left is crushed by my own hands! Who has ever heard of the lowly cat of the Jyuunishi become happy? NO ONE! The cat deserves imprisonment and suffering for being the disgusting creature that he is!"

"And I've almost formed you into the ideal, that which the neko of the Jyuniishii is supposed to be. But there is still one huge block to that…"

An eerie pause hung in the air before Akito spoke. "Tell me, have you been seeing Kazuma-sensei lately?"

Shishou? "Uh, no, I haven't. Why are you asking—?"

"You see, neko, Kazuma-sensei is becoming bothersome lately. Do you think I am not aware of the possibility of him becoming a huge problem if I decide to lock you up like what happened to his grandfather? Do you think I am not aware of up to what extent he will go to ensure that you are free and living like a normal boy? DO YOU THINK I WILL ALLOW IT?" Akito hissed again, his eyes narrowed into murderous slits.

This time, Kyo did not bother to hide his rage. "I won't let you harm Shishou, you monster!"

Akito smirked, his murderous gaze still on Kyou. "Oh really now? Who says you can stop me—when I know as well that the best and most painful way to get to Kazuma-sensei…is through you!"

Kyo flinched at Akito's words as dread pierced his soul in every direction.

What did the Family Head mean by hurting his Shishou through him?

"That's right. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. If I do that, it would not only destroy you, but Kazuma-sensei as well. Excellent…very excellent…" Akito went on, muttering more to himself.

"_What is this crazy monster up to?" _was the simultaneous thought of both the cat and the dragon while they watched the Family Head pace before them. Both then also jumped simultaneously when Akito suddenly swept his merciless gaze to Hatori.

"Hatori, I want you to erase Kyo's memories!"

The pair froze at Akito's order. But for Kyo, the shock did not last long. "Wh—what the fucking hell?"

"Erase Kazuma-sensei from his memories, Hatori! That way he won't remember the person who cared for him and it will be much easier to convince him of his true worthlessness. Let that be a lesson to Kazuma-sensei as well if he dares go against me again!"

Hatori looked shocked, torn and confused. Kyo on the other hand looked desperate.

Shishou had been the most important person in Kyo's life, the closest thing he had to a father who was now everything he had left.

If he lost Shishou…he'd lose the last purpose and goal he had been holding onto, his last reason why he wanted his freedom…

And that was just the consequences on Kyo's side. God knows what it would do to Kazuma, when the next time he would see Kyo, the boy would stare back at him with haunted, unrecognizing eyes. It also scared Kyo of what his unaware mind under Akito's influence would do to his Shishou—he could be even tricked to physically attempt to assault him!

_NO! I won't cause that pain to Shishou! I don't want to lose my dad! No matter what!_ Kyo mentally screamed as he fell to his knees and did something he never thought he'd do. "No, Akito, please don't do it! I…I'm begging you!"

Hatori and Akito both stared at Kyo begging as if they were having an impossible dream. Kyo gritted his teeth in anger at the humiliatoin but he had no choice. Forget the shame and the ridicules later—if it would mean that his memories of Shishou would remain intact then it would be worth it.

"What did you say, neko?"

"Please…" Kyo pleaded as he bent his head low enough to kiss the floor. "I'll do anything you ask of me, Akito, just don't take my memories of Shishou away!"

That seemed to catch the sadistic boy's attention. "Anything?"

"Yes!" Kyo pushed forward to the green light, ready of whatever price he had to pay.

Akito smiled as he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

After an agonizing minute or two, Akito finally spoke. "All right then. Since you have _humbled_ yourself before me and _begged_ so nicely, I'm willing to give you an alternative…

"Starting tomorrow you will move back to Kazuma-sensei's dojo until the remainder of your High school years. And once you do that, our previous agreement—that bet about my precious nezumi— will be nullified."  
"Hey, that's—!"

"SILENCE!" Akito glared at Kyo before continuing. "As I was saying, once you start living back with Kazuma-sensei, our previous agreement will be cancelled, for a more interesting one has come to mind."

Akito's smirk grew wider as poisonous words began to spill out of his lips. "If you want to remain free and with your memories intact, you will have up to three months…to make Kazuma-sensei hate you."

"Wh—what?" The room suddenly turned much colder as Kyo dared to look up at Akito with shocked eyes. "You want shishou to…hate me?"

"Yes. Make him hate you, despise you and scorn you for the cat monster you are!" Akito said gleefully. "If you do just that, not only will you remain a free man but also you will become one with the Souma family and have a place here with us! Wouldn't that be easy? You will finally become a member of the Jyuniishii, just for making one man hate you!"

Kyo looked shocked as everything sank in.

In order to keep his memories, he must make his beloved Shishou hate him, all while living under the dojo for three months!

If he would fail, he will lose Shishou, his freedom, and he'll never be the son he always wanted to be worthy of Shishou…ever again!

Whichever option he chose, he will end up hurting Kazuma in the end. Damn it all, why did this have to happen to him?

_Still…_Kyo thought. _If I give it a try…in three months, if I can make Shishou hate me, then I won't have to be locked up, and Shishou will no longer be hurt by my actions because he will no longer care about me! If I can make work this out, everything might turn out right in the end! _

"What is your choice, Kyo?"

_Forgive me, Shishou…dad… _Kyo lifted his head to meet Akito's unfeeling stare. "I accept your proposal."

"Kyo!" Hatori gasped while Akito looked like a kid who just met Santa Claus. "What did you just say?"

"I accept it…the agreement that I will make Shishou hate me…in three months time." Kyo said, his voice void of emotion. "I'll make him hate me, just don't take my memories of him away!"

Akito's merciless laugh echoed throughout the room. "Well this was totally unexpected. But it doesn't matter anymore. The agreement is accepted and done! Your three months will start tomorrow. You will return to me at the end of the agreed time for me to decide your final verdict. That is all! Now get out of my sight!"

XXX

Owari

Please read and review! Pleeease? *insert big teary puppy eyes here*


	3. It's those small moments

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply

I noticed that I hadn't added an A/N here. I hate that. It made the chapter seem rushed, which it isn't (I spent three days writing the bloody draft)! What I can admit is that I was in a rush to post this, so yeah the reason why there's no author's preamble. :D

"_**It's those small moments we take for granted that often mean the most."**_

Once Kyo and Hatori had left Akito's presence, the Souma doctor immediately grabbed Kyo by the shoulders and gave him a look that was a mix of shock and anger. "Kyo, are you aware of what you had just put yourself into?"

Kyo's eyes were stormy as he fixed a cool gaze at the doctor. "It's not like I had much of a choice! I wouldn't want that bastard to mess with me anymore than he already has!"

"Kyo, I understand your need to protect your memories from Akito, but—just what are you planning to do? Are you really going to push on with it then?" Hatori pressed on. "Are you really up to making Kazuma hate you in three months?"  
The orange haired boy's stomach twisted at the thought. "…like what I said, I don't have much of a choice."

"Then how are you going to do it? I've known Kazuma for a long time now, and I've never known him to easily hate anyone—especially not you."

"That I haven't figured out yet…" Kyo replied. "I don't even know how to start! I guess I should act like I hate his guts, do something really stupid that will blow his fuse or…"  
"Then I guess it would be good for you to know that you have already been quite the difficult child for Kazuma, and yet he still cares a lot about you."

"Not helping, Hatori." Kyo snapped, burying his head in his hands in frustration. "Listen, I don't want to be put in this kind of position, and I don't want to do anything to hurt Shishou anymore. But I have to do it, because if I do somehow pull this stunt off, at least…only one of us will be hurt in the end. And I am determined that that person would be me!"

After the silence that followed, someone called them from behind.

"Kyo! Hatori-san!" Kureno ran up to his two cousins with a cordless phone in hand. "It's Shigure-san. He wants to know if Akito-sama is finished with Kyo-kun. He sounds worried."

Kyo let out a huff while Hatori nodded. "Yes, he's done with us. Can I speak to Shigure first?"

"Of course, Hatori-san…" Kureno handed the phone to the doctor who took it before turning around to walk a short distance away from the other two.

Kyo snorted at the retreating doctor's side. "Well, anyway, since the inu has him occupied, I guess I'd better be going…"

"Where to, Kyo?" Kureno asked. Kyo waved his hand without looking back at the Rooster.

"There's something else I need to take care of…before it's all over…"

"Hello?"

"Ha-san, is that you?"

"Of course it's me, baka inu. So what do you want?"

"Is Akito finished talking with you and Kyo?"  
"Obviously, since I'm already on the phone with you?"

"…So, what did Akito say? It's very unusual for him to ask for Kyo, especially when he hasn't done anything that could upset Akito."

"Well…it's complicated. First, Akito asked about Yuki and Tohru, then about their relationship…"  
"I suppose that is quite reasonable. I was wondering when Akito would try to do something about our dear prince and princess. But why did he ask for Kyo, not our nezumi?"

"I'm getting to that. After that, Akito suddenly asked about Kazuma and…"  
"Kazuma-sensei? Wow, this conversation is getting a whole lot messier—"

"Will you let me finish?" Hatori snapped. "So after Akito asked about Kazuma and Kyo gave him all the answers he needed, Akito suddenly gave me an order out of the blue…to erase Kyo's memories of Kazuma."

The other line suddenly went silent.

"Shigure?"  
"You mean to say, Tori-san…" Shigure replied in a hushed, serious tone. "That all of Kyo's memories of Kazuma were wiped away?"

"No…it's much worse." Hatori said, his voice equally hushed. "Kyo, in a desperate attempt to stop Akito, begged for an alternative to which he agreed to."

"Alternative? What alternative?"

"Akito ordered Kyo to move out of your place as soon as possible and go back to live at the Dojo for the remaining years of his high school education."

"…Are you sure that's what Akito said? That sounds oddly generous…"

"When has Akito been generous to anyone, especially to Kyo? There's a high price for that!" Hatori's voice became icy. "Akito cancelled the first bet with Kyo and Yuki to make way for a new order—for Kyo to make Kazuma hate him in three months, or I will come back and erase Kyo's memories of him."

At the other end of the line, Shigure's heart leapt to his throat then sank to his feet. "He's…really that desperate isn't he, that Kyo-neko…?"

"I know. But I can understand how he feels. Kazuma was like a father to him."

"No, Kazuma is his father." Shigure corrected. "No one in the world would probably care about Kyo more than he would. And nothing in the world can change that, not even—and I'm sad but sure to say— Kyo himself."

"That I know too, and I guess Kyo does as well. But after all that's happened, he doesn't have much of a choice."

"He'll have to make the impossible possible, huh? Now how can Kyo make that all happen, I wonder…?"

"Shigure…" Hatori said sternly. "You should be helping Kyo overcome this situation, and not sitting back to enjoy watching the show—like Akito would most likely do."

"I know, I know." The inu answered. "So anyway, are we going to inform Kazuma about this?"

"…for someone as sane as you are, Shigure, you can come up with the maddest ideas."

"Weeell, I try, Ha-san. Well, how about Yuki and Tohru? As well as everyone else from the family?"

"Shigure…"  
"OK, OK, I'll just let my common sense dictate to me that only those who knew about Kyo's trip to the Main House will know about this…arrangement. Anyway, I guess I should be helping Kyo prepare to pack his things when he gets home."  
"That'll be good. But what will you tell Yuki and Tohru?"

"That Kyo will be moving to Kazuma-sensei's place, as per Akito's orders." Shigure said innocently. "What else am I supposed to say?"

"…"

"Ha-san, Tohru is the most trusting girl I know. She won't dig further, and she'd even be happy for Kyo. Yuki, on the other hand, will be a little suspicious, but he won't bother too much—after all he is supposed to hate Kyo's guts."  
"Supposed to?"  
Shigure smiled a little. "That's for me to know and for you to try to find out. Well anyway, Tori-san, I've got to go. When will Kyo be back here?"

"I don't know. Kyo mentioned that he will have something else to do before he goes home."

"Ah, I see. It's been nice talking to you, Tori-san! I guess I'll be seeing you."

After a low grunt, Hatori ended the call. _Shigure, you'd better not be up to something again…_

XXX

"Shigure, who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, it's just Hatori." Shigure answered as he turned to his cousin. "He's just relayed to me a very important order coming from Akito."

Yuki's insides froze but he forced his expression to remain calm. "Oh. What did Akito want?"

"Don't worry it's nothing about you and Tohru. The order is for Kyo. Akito wants him to move back to Kazuma's dojo as soon as possible and to stay there until graduation." Shigure lied smoothly with a casual smile.

Though Yuki was able to breathe with relief, he couldn't help but frown. "He wants Kyo to move back to Shihan's? That's quite…unlike Akito."

"Why'd you say so?"

"Everyone knows Kyo would be a lot happier if he were with Shihan, especially nowadays." Yuki reasoned. "I'm sure Akito is aware of that as well. What is he thinking…?"

"Why, Yuki! If it bothers you so much, then let's just ask Kyonichi to stay with us FOREVER!" Shigure said ever so cheerfully.

Yuki blanched. "Baka! It's not like I like being anywhere near that baka neko! AND IT'S NOT LIKE I CARE!"

With that, the princely nezumi left Shigure with a huff.

Shigure sighed at Yuki's retreating back. "Right…just push the right buttons and my dear Yuki goes out like a bomb. Now, where was I? Oh yes…"

The man then turned back to the phone to make another important call for the day.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

CLICK!

"Hello?"

Shigure smiled brightly yet again. "Hello, Kazuma-sensei!"

"Oh hello, Shigure, it's nice of you to call. What can I do for you?"

"Hmm. Let me see…is Kyo over at your place?"

"Yes he is. He just came over."

"That's good! I'd love to chat more with you, Kazuma-sensei, but I really need to speak with Kyo right now. May I?"

"All right then…" Kazuma replied after a pause. "I'll go see first if he is all right now."

"Has something happened?" Shigure said in fake curiosity and genuine concern.

"I don't know really. He came to the dojo, drenched and upset. I tried to ask him what was going on, but he wouldn't say anything."

Shigure paused to think of a good lie before saying, "Well…maybe he just got himself into another brawl with Yuki on the way there. I've been away for quite a while and the children had the house all to themselves all afternoon!"

"…Shigure, are you sure there is nothing I must know?"

_Damn, he's intuitive! _"Positive, Kazuma-sensei. I'm sure Kyo will be back to his energetic self in no time!"

"But—"

"Don't worry Kazuma-sensei. If it's something really important, I'm sure Kyo will let you know. After all, you are his father."

"You're right, I guess…"

The obvious worried tone of the karate instructor made Shigure feel terrible. He had to stop this conversation before he said any more lies. "So…Kazuma-sensei, may I?"  
"Oh yes, of course. Excuse me…"

Shigure heard the phone being placed down, then several series of footsteps followed by someone picking up the phone. "What do you want, Shigure?"

"It seems like you're doing much better now, Kyo!" Shigure greeted.

"Shut up! If you called here just to annoy me, then you've got another thing coming—"

"I know about what happened with Akito, Kyo."

The other line went silent but Shigure continued. "I have to say Kyo that was quite a surprise, coming from you. However did you think that what you're about do is possible?"

"Don't give me that, Shigure. Hatori's already given me an earful!"

"Hush now! We must not let Shishou-san know anything, right?" Shigure said. "Anyway, did you tell him that you'll be moving in?"

"I haven't. In fact, I've barely spoken to him at all ever since I came."

"My my, you're already starting huh…"

"I'm not, baka! It's just…"

"Anyway, now would be a good time to let him know that you'll be staying there. Or perhaps, you'd want me to tell him for you?"  
"No, I'll be the one to tell him that, maybe after I make us some dinner." Kyo let out a low chuckle. "Least I could do after giving him the cold shoulder treatment when it's not really necessary."

"At least, not for today." Shigure finished softly. "So are you going to stay over there in the dojo?"

"Obviously, then I'll be going back there tomorrow to pack…" Kyo said. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else, Kyo. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Have a good night, Kyo."

"…Thanks."

_Don't thank me yet, Kyo. _With that, Shigure hung up then sighed. "At least, have tonight…to show Kazuma you care, one last time."

Ayt! That's all and thank you for now. R and R as usual, please? Pretty please?


	4. I can become anything

A/N: I'M BACK!

After months of hibernation and setbacks, JD has returned to bring some fanfic goodness to the readers (hopefully ^^)!

With no further ado, I now present to you Chapter 4 of my story! I would like to thank all of my reviewers for reading my story. You guys are the inspiration for my fanfics! Hope this chapter will also appeal to you.

OK, now that that's done, here we GO!

Disclaimer: No own, no sue. Plain and simple. ^^

XXX

"_**Because I love you, I can become anything."**_

_**Someday, I'll **__**be worthy enough to call him Father…**_

The heavy rain continued to pour down the streets as Kyo Souma walked a good distance away from the family Estate.

The drops of water struck heavily against his hair and clothes, rendering his once dry body soaked and cold.

But his mind was not on the freezing weather, which was quite something—considering that it often did a splendid job depressing him.

Because only Akito's words rang in his mind at the moment.

"**If you want your memories to remain intact, you will have up to three months…to make Kazuma-sensei hate you…**

**Why, shouldn't that be even better for you, Kyo? You will finally become a member of the Juunishi, just for making one man hate you!"**

_No, shut up! _Kyo shook his head, clenching his fists in frustration. _No, this is not how I wanted my freedom! Not in exchange of Shishou! Why does Akito want to hurt Shishou so badly? I'm the one he should be mad at! Why does Shishou have to suffer because of me? And why do I have to do it to him?_

A car zoomed past Kyo as he continued down the sidewalk, with one hand in his pocket and the other running through his wet orange hair.

_Hatori is right—there's no way I can make Shishou hate me, even if I beg him to! He wouldn't even raise a hand against me back when I was a kid, even when I deserved it! _Kyo shut his eyes in frustration._ Oh God what should I do? _

The cold was starting to hurt, but Kyo kept walking anyway, up the empty, slick path to his destination. The trees were beginning to sway and some fallen leaves were beginning to hit his face. The clouds above him, previously gray, were turning black and gloomy.

Ah great, the rain is turning into a storm. How grand…

Could there be anything else more depressing than this?

"How ironic…" Kyo hissed to himself, continuing his previous train of thought. "Normally, if I couldn't find answers, I'd ask Shishou and he'd help me find them. But now…there's no way I can ask him, tell him about what I got myself into. How would he react? What'll he say to me? And what would Akito do if he found out that I told?"

A loud crack of thunder boomed above him, but he again ignored it along with everything else.

"That's it. I really don't have much of a choice." Kyo sighed, biting his lip. "I'll have to be the most horrible person I can be, and do the most horrible things to Shishou. Three months…that's more than enough time. I'll probably give myself a few days first; do my best to be the best son I could be for Shishou, before I turn into the worst. Hopefully, it'll be enough to make him angry and eventually hate me."

_But what if he doesn't hate you? What if __it makes him break down instead?_

_That sounds horribly like what Hatori would say!_ Kyo groaned out, trying to clear his head of his conscience. "It doesn't matter anymore. Fate has made its plans, and so have I! I'll have to protect Shishou no matter what! So if this is the only way to do it…"

Another thunder roared overhead as Kyo exhaled painfully. "…then so be it."

XXX

_**And every time I see hi**__**s smile, the love spreads…**_

"Ara, ara, it looks like a storm is coming up, isn't it? I'd better make something to warm me up."

Standing up from the tatami flooring of one of the rooms in the dojo, Kazuma Souma made his way to the kitchen to make some tea.

The rain has been going on for hours now. He was bored and alone for most of the afternoon. He would have considered visiting Shigure's place today, but at the rate that the storm went, no sane person would want to go out with weather like that!

"Which means Kyo must be all cooped up in Shigure's house, bored and most probably down." Kazuma sighed softly. "The rain always has its way to damper the cat spirit's mood. I hope Kyo is holding out all right."

Normally Kazuma would not worry so much about his charge, knowing that Kyo was a strong and zealous spirit. Though he can be pulled down to the ground (and has been, for numerous occasions), he always gets back up on his own, better than ever.

But lately, the boy seemed to always be in a sullen mood—moody, impatient and depressed. Kazuma had frequently asked about it during their training sessions together for the past weeks, but Kyo would shake his head and insist that everything was fine and that there was nothing his old Shishou should worry about.

But instead of putting them at ease, Kazuma's worries grew worse.

Kyo had a problem, he could sense it, but Kyo wasn't telling him anything.

It took a few phone calls to Shigure and two trips to their house for Kazuma to pinpoint the source of Kyo's depression.

And when he found out that, Kazuma did not know what to feel.

He was happy for Tohru and Yuki, true. Tohru was the sweetest and kindest girl he had ever met, and Yuki was a well-mannered gentleman worthy enough of her. And the pair had been very good friends at the beginning. There was no reason for them NOT to end up together.

On the other hand, however, Kazuma felt a twinge of sorrow, obviously for Kyo. Though the boy would like everyone to believe that the said couple getting together had no real effect on him, Kazuma knew his son's heart remarkably better than anyone else.

Tohru Honda was Kyo's first love—that was plain and easy to see.

But sadly, just as Kyo had given his heart to the girl, she had obviously given hers to the Prince.

Now Kyo has fallen in a worse state of sadness than Kazuma had ever seen, and at that point Kazuma felt helpless.

_Kyo…_ Kazuma thought as he sat down near the table and watched the kettle boil. _My stubborn Kyo, you really want to work this out on your own, do you? I understand how much you want to prove yourself, and how much you want to prove how strong you are. But…_

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Ah?" Kazuma was startled away from his thoughts as the loud knocking on the door continued. "Hai, hai, I'm coming!"

And as the man made his way to the front door, Kazuma couldn't help but think, _now who would go out in the rain like this, just to see me? _

**CREAK!**

The door opened with a soft hiss to reveal the dripping and panting form of a very familiar…

"KYO?"

XXX

_**He told me once, that the Neko is but a part of **__**me that I had to accept…**_

Kyo couldn't help but shrink back a little at the alarmed look on the other man's face.

OK so maybe the fact that he had just walked through a raging storm without a jacket or an umbrella is something to get troubled about, but still…

"Kyo, what on Earth—?"

"Hey, Shishou…" Kyo greeted tiredly. "Sorry about the surprise visit. Can I come in?"

Kazuma nodded as he led the boy inside the warmth of the dojo. "God, Kyo, you're soaking wet! And you're shaking like a leaf too! Why don't you go have a seat in the living room while I get something to warm you up?"

Kyo nodded, not meeting his Shishou's worried eyes as he made his way to the kitchen while Kazuma went to the other direction to look for a towel or two and some warm clothes for the boy.

And as he sat down on one of the couches in the living room, it was only then that he felt the painful cold gnawing through his skin in full force.

_Argh, I didn't notice it was so cold until now…_ Kyo thought. _This is bad. At this rate, maybe I'll catch a…_

"ACHOO!" Kyo sneezed roughly as he clasped his shaking hands. _…a cold! AH! Damn it all!_

"Looks like you've already caught a cold huh?" Kyo turned around to meet Kazuma, who had a set of fresh clothes tucked in one arm. He held out a towel for Kyo with his other hand. "Here. This should help."

The boy nodded, taking the towel and the clothes. "Thanks. I'll just go change in my old room."

"All right." Kazuma watched as Kyo began to walk away.

But Kyo was only a few feet away when Kazuma called out again. "Kyo?"

Footsteps halted their pace as Kyo turned around. "Yes, Shishou?"

Kazuma fixed a troubled glance at him before whispering, almost pleadingly. "…Is there something you wish to talk about?"

Kyo drew a steadying breath, willing the tears gathering in his eyes to disappear as thoughts began to bombard his mind.

_Shishou…Shishou, I really need your help! Please tell me what I must do? Tell me how I can save you from Akito without getting you hurt! Tell me how to make you hate me! _"…Nothing, Shishou. Nothing at the moment."

"I…see." From the corner of his eye, Kyo saw Kazuma's shoulders slump a little.

"Am I bothering you, Shishou?" Kyo whispered. "I'm sorry, I just wanted, no, I just really needed to see you."

"No, it's not a bother at all." Y_ou're never a bother to me, Kyo…_ "I'm glad you came to see me too. Though you should probably pick a better weather next time."

"Hai, Shishou." Kyo allowed himself a small smile before nodding. "Well, I'm off then."

XXX

_**He makes me want to be a Father**__**…**_

Kazuma sat in the living room with a cup of warm tea in one hand, his brow furrowed.

_There seems to be a lot in Kyo's mind today. There's no real other reason he'd come to see me other than that. But why won't he tell me anything? Oh Kyo, why won't you let me help you?_

It had been a good five minutes since Kyo had gone to his room to change. The tea was starting to get cold, and it was already getting late. Maybe he should throw away the rest of the tea and start preparing for supper…

**RING! RING! RING!**

_The phone's ringing…_"Wonder who this could be?" Kazuma thought as he answered the phone in the dining room. "Hello?"

Another familiar, sing song voice echoed from the phone. "Hello, Kazuma-sensei!"

_Ah, it's Shigure. Must be calling about Kyo._ Kazuma smiled softly. "Oh hello, Shigure, it's nice of you to call. What can I do for you?"

"Hmm. Let me see…is Kyo over at your place?"

_Thought so… _"Yes he is. He just came over."

"That's good! I'd love to chat more with you, Kazuma-sensei, but I really need to speak with Kyo right now. May I?"

_That's odd. Shigure's usually not the type to jump down to business. _"All right then. I'll go see first if he is all right now."

"Has something happened?"

_That is what I'd like to know…_ "I don't know really. He came to the dojo, drenched and upset. I tried to ask him what was going on, but he wouldn't say anything."

"Well…" Shigure reasoned smoothly. "Maybe he just got himself into another brawl with Yuki on the way there. I've been away for quite a while and the children had the house all to themselves all afternoon!"

Kazuma frowned slightly. Shigure's reason was plausible, true, but it still seemed rather…off.

"…Shigure, are you sure there is nothing I must know?"

A pause filled the other side before Shigure energetically answered. "Positive, Kazuma-sensei. I'm sure Kyo will be back to his energetic self in no time!"

"But—"

"Don't worry Kazuma-sensei." Shigure cut him off. "If it's something really important, I'm sure Kyo will let you know. After all, you are his father."

Kazuma felt his heart clench as he swallowed painfully. _God I wish he would…_

"You're right, I guess…"

"So…Kazuma-sensei, may I?" Shigure piped up softly.  
"Oh yes, of course. Excuse me…"

Kazuma placed the phone down the table before turning around to find Kyo.

"Kyo! Kyo, are you done yet?"

"Ah…Shishou?" Kyo looked up to the closed door of his room that muffled Kazuma's voice from the other side of the hallway. "Shishou, I'm coming!"

After putting on his slippers and hanging his wet clothes on the towel rack on his door, Kyo opened it to find the man turning to the direction of his bedroom.

"There you are, Kyo!" Kazuma said, smiling softly. "Shigure's on the phone. He wants to talk to you. It sounded important, seeing how he seemed straight to the point today."

"Right, thanks." Kyo said, sweeping past the older man.

"Oh and just sit back and relax, OK Shishou?" Kyo turned to smile up at his master. "I'll be making dinner for us tonight."

Kazuma paused before smiling back at him. "All right. Thank you."

XXX

_**Someday, I'll make Shishou proud to call me his son!**_

"What do you want, Shigure?" Kyo grunted as soon as the phone was on his hand.

"It seems like you're doing much better now, Kyo!" Shigure greeted cheerily, making another vein in Kyo's head pop.

"Shut up! If you called here just to annoy me, then you've got another thing coming—"

"I know about what happened with Akito, Kyo."

Kyo froze as his eyes swiftly scanned for any sign of Kazuma possibly overhearing. Thankfully, his Shishou was in the kitchen reading the newspaper.

"I have to say Kyo that was quite a surprise, coming from you." Shigure continued. "How ever did you think that what you're about do is possible?"

"Don't give me that, Shigure!" Kyo hissed in annoyance. "Hatori's already given me an earful—!"

"Hush now! We must not let Shishou-san know anything, right?"

Kyo let out another irritated grunt, knowing that the inu was right.

"Anyway, did you tell him that you'll be moving in?" Shigure asked.

"I haven't. In fact, I've barely spoken to him at all ever since I came."

"My my, you're already starting huh…"

Kyo felt his temper flare up again. "I'm not, baka! It's just…"

"Anyway, now would be a good time to let him know that you'll be staying there. Or perhaps, you'd want me to tell him for you?"  
"No, I'll be the one to tell him that, maybe after I make us some dinner." Kyo chuckled softly. "Least I could do after giving him the cold shoulder treatment when it's not really necessary."

"At least, not for today." Shigure's words sent a hollow chill down Kyo's spine. "So are you going to stay over there in the dojo?"

"Obviously, then I'll be going back there tomorrow to pack…" Kyo replied, his eyes still fixed waveringly on his Shishou. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else, Kyo. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Have a good night, Kyo."

"…Thanks." Kyo said wearily before hanging up, sighing. "Guess I'll have to make dinner now."

Two hours later…

Kyo sat down on his futon an hour after they had dinner. Despite the rain, Kyo did his best to be as cheerful as he could around Kazuma, to make up for being so cold at him a while ago.

They had talked about the dojo, Shigure's house, school and all other things that seemed to make the mood lighter.

Yet despite the warm atmosphere, Kyo had yet to break to Kazuma Akito's order that he'll be staying at the dojo from now on.

"Shishou must be sleeping already…" Kyo mused. "But still I'd better go see him. I'll take my chances and see if he's still up. Then maybe I can tell him…"

Kazuma was sitting on his futon reading a book against the dim light by the time Kyo knocked on his door.

"Shishou?"

The man looked up from his book to see Kyo cracking the door open a little. "Yes, Kyo, come in."

Kyo stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Uhm, hi, Shishou."

Kazuma eyed the boy curiously. "Is something the matter, Kyo?"

"Well…there was something…" Kyo began, clenching his fists uneasily. "It's just…I have to tell you something important…"

"Oh? What is it?"

_Come on, Kyo! There's nothing to be nervous about! This isn't the horrible part of what you've got to do!_

Kyo fell to his knees beside his aged master and caught his onyx gaze. "Actually, it was about an order coming from Akito."

Kazuma's eyes narrowed dangerously for a split second before returning to normal. Kyo barely noticed the change. "I see. What was it about?"

"Well, it was about me…" Kyo was thankful that Kazuma merely nodded encouragingly. "And, well, Akito ordered that until the end of my high school years, I was to be moved out of Shigure's back to the dojo."

Of all the things Kazuma had been expecting, it was definitely not that one.

He stared at Kyo quite suspiciously. "And that's all?"

_Well of course he's expecting a catch! Even I would if I didn't have the info first hand!_

"Yes, that's all." Kyo lied, looking downcast. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no nothing's wrong, Kyo. I'd be happy to have you over with me again." Kazuma replied. "It's just that…the order sounded very odd, especially when it came from Akito. Are you sure there's nothing going on?"

"Nothing as far as I know." Kyo said. "And Shishou?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry…for being such an asshole these past few weeks." Kyo said, scratching the back of his neck. "I was just feeling pretty down and all…"

"Is it about Tohru-kun and Yuki?"

It was now Kyo's turn to be surprised. "How did you—?"

"I was worried about you." Kazuma admitted, sighing. "When you wouldn't tell me what was wrong, I went to Shigure's to figure everything out myself. And that's when I knew about the two of them, and I simply put everything else together."

Kyo fell silent as Kazuma continued. "I'm sorry I had to pry. I really had no right, but I just wanted to help you."

"No, Shishou. You did all that for me." Kyo said, his eyes pricking up. "I wish I could be a little more deserving of all you're doing for me…"

"You already are." Kazuma said gently. "You have grown into a strong young teen on his way to a bright future. There is no way I'll let you get locked up. I promise, Kyo, you'll live the life you'll want to live and I'll be proud of you at every step you make towards your dreams."

_I wanted to make him proud. I wanted Shishou to call me Son…_

Kyo's shoulders shook, trying to stifle his sobs. "Arigatou, Shishou. Thank you very much, for everything."

After a few minutes, Kyo stood up to say good night. "Well, guess I'll really call it a night now Shishou. Thanks again for listening."

"And thanks for telling me the news." Kazuma smiled at him. "I hope you're feeling better now."

"I am." Kyo nodded. _Or at least, I wish I am…_ "I'll be going back to Shigure's to pack up tomorrow. That OK?"

"Of course. Rest easy, Kyo."

Kyo was moments away from exiting the room when he turned back to Kazuma, who was still watching him.

"One more thing, Shishou…" He said before he could stop himself.

"Yes, Kyo?"

_I'm sorry, Shishou__, for everything I'm about to put you through. You'll see though, Shishou. It's for your own good…_

"…I love you, a whole lot, Shishou. I just want you to know that."

"K-Kyo—?"

But Kyo had already closed the door behind him before Kazuma could respond.

He was already making his way to his own room when he turned his gaze to the moon outside.

It was round and bright, shining against the stone path of the dojo. It made a sense of calm pass through Kyo's being.

For the first time in his young life, Kyo was finally able to tell someone he loved what he truly felt, and it put his troubled heart and soul in a detached sort of peace.

_That's all I want right now. _

_Before my world crumbles into nothing, I just want you to know that I love you more than I can ever say…Dad. _

XXX

Oook, that was long.

And angsty.

And a little…less fluffy than I expected.

Oh well, another chapter down for the count. Was it too OOC?

For one thing, Kyo is quite a tough character to write. He's such a tough boy in both the anime and manga, so it was very difficult for me to write him out when he's nearing his breaking point and in desperate need for some TLC (or a hug).

And as for Kazuma, he may love Kyo a huge lot and all, but he was never that showy of his affection. Then again, the only reason he was probably like that was because Kyo is not exactly the person you can easily show love to, no matter how much you want it. Therefore, yeah, the going-angsty-because-my-son-is-probably-in-trouble Kazuma was pretty tough to write too.

But overall I enjoyed making this chapter. Sorry if it was too long!

This'll probably be the only update you'll get from me in quite a while. I'll probably make the other chapters much shorter if you'll want me to. ^^

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! I'd really love that!

*Squeezes and Oolong tea, JD*


	5. The ones who are closest to us

A/N: First off, I'd like to give all my readers a big apology. I've been out of commission for a long time due to personal reasons. College is just one of them, and I've been having problems with work and what I really want to do. I know it's not fair, and it's not even an excuse, but that's what's been going on.

I am truly honored that there are followers of WiT, and I am sorry for letting you guys down. I truly do love WiT and the plot I've made up for it. Please bear with me. I'll do what I can to make it worth the read.

I've found the fic that gave me inspiration for this and I will give it and its writer due credit. I haven't mentioned it before because I thought it would be embarrassing to mention an inspiration yet not know the fic's title. (blush) So there.

Please leave reviews/comments/suggestions. I value hearing good feedback from readers. I might even get some ideas and credit you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba, otherwise Rin would never have to suffer a terrible hair chop (not cut). But that's just me.

_Inspired by Ripples of Memories by Katsumoto-sama (_Again sorry for being mentioned just now! T_T)

* * *

"_**Sometimes the ones we push furthest away are the ones who are closest to us."**_

DING DONG! DING DONG!

"I'm coming!" Tohru's cheerful voice rang throughout the Sohma residence early that Saturday morning.

Being the responsible housekeeper that she was, Tohru was naturally up before dawn to prepare breakfast and start with the chores. She was currently rolling the rice into onigiri when she heard the doorbell ring.

_It must be Kyo-kun! _Tohru thought happily as she went to answer the door. Tohru had been worried that Kyo had not turned up yesterday, especially since it was raining like (pardon the term) cats and dogs outside and how that usually affected the neko's mood.

But this time, it was more so than usual.

The truth was, she had been worried about Kyo for quite a while now. He had been acting quiet and distant, often keeping to himself at the roof more often than not and only coming down when it was time to eat or leave for school. Tohru had tried to get him to talk to her, and even asked for Yuki's and Shigure's help. But to no avail, since Yuki looked edgy at the thought of even standing _willingly_ next to Kyo, Shigure only answered her queries with knowing raised eyebrows and Kyo just walled her off.

So when Yuki told her that Kyo was fine and was spending the night at Kazuma's, Tohru was a little more than relieved. If she and the Sohmas with her weren't the help Kyo needed, then maybe Kazuma can be of better help.

_No, definitely! _Tohru corrected herself after wiping her hands on her apron. _Kazuma-san always has his way of reaching out to Kyo. If anyone can help Kyo get out of his slump, Kazuma-san can! I'm sure Kazuma-san had already cheered Kyo-kun up by now already! _

If Tohru only knew…

Anyway, to Tohru's relief, the one behind the door was Kyo, and right behind him was Kazuma.

"Good morning to you, Tohru." Kazuma smiled politely from behind a surly looking Kyo, who muttered a "morning" to the girl.

"Ah yes, good morning to you too, Kazuma-san!" Tohru bowed politely at the martial arts teacher and beamed at Kyo. "Kyo-kun! I'm glad you made it back home! I was worried about you yesterday when it rained! You didn't even bring an umbrella with you back then!"

"Sorry." Kyo blushed, looking away. "Didn't mean to worry you."

"Anyway, are you guys hungry? I was just about to make breakfast. Would you like to join us?"

"That would be great. Thank you, Tohru."

* * *

"Shihan!" Yuki greeted in mild surprise when he saw his martial arts teacher sitting on the dining table with Kyo on his left. Tohru was in the kitchen doing some last minute preparations for breakfast.

"Good morning to you too, Yuki. You seem to be doing well." Kazuma smiled kindly at the boy. Yuki hastily made a bow. "Good morning to you too, Shihan. I was just surprised that you visited us. You rarely come by these days."

"Sorry, I've been quite busy at the dojo. There have been inquiries here and there to join, and one of the staff called in sick for a few days so I had to help out around some more." Kazuma replied.

"I see." Yuki said as he made his way to his seat on the table. He and Kyo said nothing to each other, but somehow acknowledged each other's presences by trading looks. It puzzled Yuki that the neko didn't jump at the chance to spit a taunt at him. So Yuki, not being the one to start a fight, just kept quiet.

"Breakfast is here!" Tohru said cheerfully, emerging from the kitchen with plates of onigiri and fried eggs on either hand.

"Let me help you with that." Yuki quickly stood up from his seat and took a plate from his girlfriend.

Tohru smiled sweetly at him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Yuki! And good morning to you too!" Yuki blushed but managed to smile back while he and Tohru set down the plates.

"They're doing fine." Kazuma noted as he watched the couple walk back into the kitchen.

Kyo made a slight nod. "I noticed."

Kazuma took a minute to study his son's face, carefully guarded and blank. "Kyo?"

"Hmm?" Seeing the worried look on his guardian's face, Kyo waved a hand. "It's nothing. Just thinking over some stuff."

The older man frowned slightly. "It's not very healthy to think over things too much, Kyo. I noticed that you've had so much in mind lately."

_Actually, I've only been thinking about the nezumi and Tohru. But Akito just had to take my head for a spin too! _The teen next to him paused before putting on a small smile. "Sorry, Shishou. I know it's not really good for me, but I guess…it's just the neko's nature to brood, ne?"

"Kyo…"

"KYONICHI!" Shigure jumped and twirled in the way only he can when he saw Kyo and Kazuma joining Yuki and Tohru at the dining room. "So good to see you again! It's been awfully quiet here at home without you! We missed you so much!"

"Speak for yourself." Yuki mumbled while Tohru let out a giggle. Kazuma smiled politely. "Lively as ever, Shigure?"

"Oh indeed, Kazuma-sensei! And why not? Considering that a visit from our favorite sensei is so rare nowadays, I bet he has wonderful news in store for us, right?"

Kyo facefaulted while Kazuma laughed. "Well, that depends. But I guess, knowing you, Shigure, you may have told everyone else already."

"What? Me, a blabbermouth?" Shigure gasped dramatically. "Where on earth would you get such an idea, Kazuma-sensei?"

…_It's blatantly obvious. _Everyone, sans Shigure and Tohru (who's just to sweet to think like that), thought at once.

Kazuma coughed a bit. "Well, I'm sure you guys know already, but I'll just say it. Kyo has been ordered by Akito to move back at the dojo with me."

"Really? That's wonderful news!" Tohru, who was the only one in the table (sad) who truly did not know the news, said happily. "For how long will you be staying with Kazuma-san, Kyo-kun?"

"Until graduation." Kyo said. "I just came back to move out my stuff. It probably won't take long, since I don't have much stuff to take. I already have a room and a futon back at the dojo."

"Well it's settled then!" Shigure waved his chopsticks after sitting down at his place on the table. "Let's begin celebrating Kou moving back in with his Shishou with a big, hearty breakfast, all right?"

"Yes!" Tohru smiled cheerfully.

Yuki's eyebrow twitched. _Shigure's energy so early in the morning always makes me wonder if he drinks coffee in his sleep._

* * *

Kyo studied his room for a bit before nodding to himself. "Yeah, that's pretty much all I need to pack, I guess."

After packing away all of what he thought he needed—clothes, school books, and a small album of all the pictures he had gotten during his stay in the Sohma residence (not like Kyo would admit he actually owned one)—and making sure that he had nothing left behind, the neko took his cardboard box and went downstairs. "Shishou, I'm done!"

"Already? That was pretty fast." Kazuma said when he saw Kyo. The man had been answering Shigure's questions about the dojo when Kyo came down.

"Didn't have much to pack, after all." Kyo shook his carton box for emphasis. "Need anything else, Shishou?"

"No, actually. How about you?"

"Well then I guess we're good—"

"Oh don't be like that, Kyonichi!" Shigure interrupted with a dramatic flair. "How could you just walk away from your home for so long like that? You can be so heartless at times!"

_I've only been here for about a year, you overacting dog potty hole!_ Kyo wanted to shout but kept his cool, somewhat. "Shut up."

"Whatever you say, Kyon-Kyon (Again, Kyo nearly popped a vein. _Kyon-Kyon?_)! Anyway, excuse me, Kazuma-sensei, but may I borrow our cute neko here for a minute? Just need to say proper goodbyes!"

Kazuma eyed Shigure wonderingly. Say proper goodbyes? Why would Shigure need a private minute for that? But since this was the inu who Kazuma knew he would probably never understand fully in this lifetime, he nodded. "All right then."

"Thank you kindly, Kazuma-sensei!" Shigure said as he ran up the stairs, dragging Kyo by an arm as he went. "See you in a bit!"

"What the—HEY, STOP DRAGGING ME, YOU HENTAI INU! AND WHERE THE HECK DID THAT STUPID NICKNAME COME FROM ANYWAY?"

"Oh you mean Kyon-Kyon?" Kazuma managed to hear before the two Jyuniishii disappeared into the hallway. "But doesn't the name just suit you so well?"

"WHY YOU BASTARD, I'M GONNA—!"

At that, Kazuma shook his head, already imagining the row that was about to happen between Kyo and Shigure. "This may take a while…"

But unknown to Kazuma, Shigure's watchful eyes had not left him until the martial arts teacher went to the kitchen to help Tohru clean up. After making sure that Kazuma was beyond sight and hearing range, Shigure quickly dropped his cheerful act. "Well know that your dear Shishou is away, Kyo…"

The orange haired boy swallowed. When Shigure put on the business face, he really meant _business_. "I know this may spoil your moving in with Kazuma mood a bit, but Akito called last night. And he has a surprise for you."

* * *

Yes, cliffhanger much. Sorry, sorry, I know it's mean of me, considering that I haven't updated in a long time! But oh well. Any ideas what the surprise could be? Nyahahaha! PM me? :D

Other Questions of Concern:

Q: _Will you change the pairing to Kyo with Tohru? Please?_

A: The pairing up there is strictly Yukihru, and I have a reason for that. I think that for some it may already be obvious why.

Q: _Will Kazuma ever hate Kyo?_

A: We all know definitely that that is nay impossible! Too bad, Kyonichi.

Q: _So what the hell are you doing with this fanfic?_

A: This whole plot actually involves Akito having a grand twisted scheme, all while making the father and son emotionally way imbalanced. That's Kyo for ya! If you guys have theories, I'd love to hear them (in other words, PM me!).

Q: _Will Shigure play a major part here?_

A: What do you do when confronted with a schemer? You throw a counter-schemer in the den.

Q: _And Yuki?_

A: When the cat's away, the mouse will play. But when the neko's away, the nezumi for some reason always tags along.

Q: _And (insert random character name here)?_

A: …OK, why don't you just go read the fic, please?

Q: _I would if you would just update often, idiot!_

A: …Riiight, good point. (blushes) Now leave me be, you wise Snapple! :D

Thank you so much for reading my fanfic. Again, apologies and I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review too!

JD


	6. To make things worse

A/N: Ah, I'm back! With more updates for WiT! I suddenly got inspiration while working on my resume (don't ask), so here you go. The setting's getting finishing layouts, so hopefully the heavy drama comes soon. I'm open for suggestions, guys! And I'll definitely credit you for them.

Meanwhile, anyone interested in becoming a beta reader for this? It's nice to get some helpful feedback for this, also to check if I've got the facts right or if there are other grammar errors I failed to see the first run through. Leave a note in a review or PM if you want. :D

Disclaimer: Still don't own Furuba. I have finished the manga though, which was…good, I guess? Not that epic but heartwarming in its own way? Ah well, who cares what I think! (sniffle)

* * *

_**"Life always has its ways to make things worse, and denying just that is only one of them."**_

"_I know this may spoil your moving in with Kazuma mood a bit, but Akito called last night. And he has a surprise for you."_

Kyo's heart went to a screeching halt and he felt his legs turn wobbly.

Y_ou have got to be kidding me! Hasn't he made my life hell already? What more can he possibly want?_ He thought frantically, his breathing turning into short, quick wheezes.

Apparently, he must have looked real bad, because Shigure quickly ushered the boy upstairs, away from easy view.

"Easy, Kyo. The last thing we want right now is for Kazuma to notice that something's amiss. Else, he'll be on to you faster than a cat on a mouse." Shigure cracked a wry smile. "Nice analogy, if I may say so myself."

"What. Is. It?" Kyo bit out after taking a quick look at his shishou. Kazuma, who was talking to Tohru and Yuki however, had thankfully not noticed his near collapse.

Shigure frowned, leaning back on the wall. "Hmm. This will be hard to take in, Kyo. Any guesses?"

Kyo glared venomously at the dog. "Cut the bullshit, Shigure! I don't have time to play games! Spit it out already!"

The older man drew in a breath at the sight of the cat looking so flustered. The boy was so easy to read, no matter how hard he tried to hide his feelings.

Already, he can tell that Kyo's mind was busy flitting through the many possibilities he could imagine, and by the look on his face, they were obviously not pretty.

Not that Akito's order was anything remotely pretty to begin with…

"Is he…?" Shigure's eyes darted back to Kyo who looked hunched up in his chair. The boy was trembling slightly and his voice was weak and hollow. "Did Akito…did he change his mind? About the deal? About everything?"

"…No, naturally not." At those words, Kyo's shoulders slumped but the shaking stopped. Whether it was due to relief or disappointment, Shigure did not want to dwell. "If anything, he wants to make absolutely sure that you would be keeping the end of your bargain."

Kyo's head shot up, obviously regaining his anger. "What the hell? Of course I'm gonna see this shit through! I already agreed to his game, didn't I? I'm not a scheming, conniving liar like he is!"

"It's not that he thinks you're lying, Kyo." _Not that he would care anyway. _ Shigure sighed. "Personally, I see all this as a means of entertainment."

The orange haired boy frowned confusedly. "Entertainment?"

"He told me to tell you to tread carefully, Kyo, because starting today the dojo will be under constant watch."

Of all the surprises he had in mind, this was _definitely_ not what he had expected.

"Watched?" Kyo shouted in horror. "What the fuck do you mean the dojo will be constatly _watched_?"

"Keep it down, Kyo! And by watched, I mean exactly just that!" Shigure hissed. "Whether he'll be placing people to watch over you, send in daily reports of your actions or hell, even install hidden cameras—I won't put that past him—, you can be sure he will be watching your every move. And he told me that if your performance is…sub-standard, then he will immediately call the deal off."

Kyo groaned as he pulled on his hair. His eyes were open so wide, his pupils now looked like mere dots. "That's—that's insane! He'll actually be spying on us! He can't be serious! Why would he—?"

"Just to make sure, I guess?" Shigure shrugged, crossing his arms. "Or as I have said, he finds your situation so entertaining he wants to savor every minute of it."

"That sick, twisted bastard! Why does he treat us all as if we're his toys? There is nothing funny about what he's making me do! FUCK HIM, I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO DO THIS!"

Oh what Kyo would give to wring that scrawny little neck of that sadistic monster! As if forcing him to make hurt Shishou was not bad enough! Now Akito wants to watch them as if their lives were his—his personal drama series!

"I know, Kyo. Believe me, I do. But that's not going to stop Akito. You know that." Shigure said evenly. "So what are you planning to do now?"

"What?"

"Come on! Once you're back in the dojo, it will be like Akito will be there, hounding you in every corner. So obviously, you won't have a break to be yourself anymore." _You won't even be given time to cry._

Kyo bit his lip hard. "Wh—what can I do? I—I wanted to at least give myself—us—some time. But, shit, if Akito's really going to—"

"Hah, it seems you haven't really thought this over, haven't you?" To Kyo's surprise, Shigure suddenly slung an arm around the boy's shoulder. "My, my, Kyon-Kyon, what _will_ you be without me, ne?"

"Wha—what the hell are you doing?"

"Saying goodbye to one of my dearest cousins, of course!" Shigure said, his voice back to its usual, overly dramatic pitch. "Aww, this house will never be the same without you! No more wrecked walls, broken windows, unhinged doors, ear splitting noises, rowdy—!"

"All right, all right, I get it! Now let go, you hentai inu!" Kyo huffed, pushing Shigure lightly off him before calling out to his master. "Shishou, I'm ready to go!"

* * *

Downstairs, where Kazuma, Tohru and Yuki were seated on the living room couch in light conversation, Kazuma turned to meet his charge's descending form. "Oh, I take it your goodbye with Shigure had gone well."

"As well as it can get when it comes to that freak." Kyo shrugged before glancing at his other two former housemates.

Oddly, the sight of them filled Kyo with a sense of nostalgia. Shigure was right—life outside this house wouldn't be the same. His life can never be after meeting these people who became a part of him.

"Goodbye, Kyo-kun." Tohru smiled kindly at him, giving his a tight hug. "We'll miss having you around. Do visit us sometime though, OK?"

Sure, she had her quirks that pissed him off sometimes, but Tohru had always been there for him. She proved to him that their friendship wasn't just skin deep by seeing and accepting him completely, even in his monstrous form. Simply put, even in his worst, she can always draw out the best in him.

So Kyo wouldn't even try to deny it—this girl, with her innocent charms and her big heart that was changing the Sohma's world bit by bit—meant a lot to him.

Heck, he loved her, after all. It's something that won't change even after she made it clear that she loved Yuki.

And it did not mean that just because she and Yuki were together, he would stop being her friend.

He could have that, at least, right?

How odd that the before, when he thought that they would be just friends, Kyo would always feel a cold, painful sting in his chest. But recently, the pain was slowly being ebbed away by a sense of calm and peace.

Did that mean he gave up on her? He really can't tell right now.

It's not that it was important for the moment, anyway.

"You know, I never said it before but," Kyo let a small smile cross his face. "Thank you, Tohru Honda, for everything you've done for me. You've been one of the truest friends I've had. I…I hope you'll always be happy."

Tohru's face lit up at his comment before hugging him again. "Thank you too, Kyo-kun! You've been a great friend to all of us also! Take care of yourself!"

Kyo nodded as he stepped out of her hug to meet a set of impassive violet eyes from her side. _Teme nezumi…_

Before he met him, Kyo hated the Jyuunishi's rat with a passion. It was the rat's fault that the cat wasn't part of the twelve after all.

But upon meeting Yuki Sohma, and actually co-existing with him, Kyo wasn't so sure anymore.

Where was all this hate coming from? And for whom was the hatred meant for this time around?

Was it because of the bet between him and Akito, and his frustration on always losing to Yuki? But now that that bet was off, there was no really point in that, is there? And it wasn't that Yuki had ever really rubbed into Kyo's face that the cat always lost. Yes, there were occasional smug comments but there was no real, malice or force behind those words, he mused.

Was it because of the fact that the one Tohru loved was Yuki and not him? Admittedly, Kyo had been bitter and brooding about it. But did bitterness automatically mean hatred? And now that he thought about it, it felt like he was angrier about (again) _losing_ _to_ Yuki than about _losing_ Tohru.

The only reason left was because of the inherent nature of the cat to hate the rat for tricking him into losing a place among the Twelve. But that would mean that the one Kyo had hated all this time was the rat, the _nezumi_.

So where did that leave _Yuki Sohma_?

Did he even know Yuki—looked past their cursed roles—well enough to truly hate him?

_Why all these damn questions? _Kyo shook his head irritably. _And all of them over HIM, of all things. Argh, the thought of him should make me sick—!_

"Oi, baka na neko."

"—Huh?"

"Stay out of trouble." Yuki said lightly. "I don't want you worrying Tohru-san by getting into anything stupid."

"What? Watch who you're talking to, teme!" Kyo snapped at the pale boy. "And I don't need your concern. So don't bother pretending that you care, got that?"

"Hora, hora, please don't go off destroying my property now!" Shigure whined.

Kazuma sighed as he patted Kyo's shoulder. "Come on, Kyo. We'd better get going. Thanks for everything, Shigure, everyone."

"Hehe, no problem." Shigure said before, to everyone's shock, the dog pounced on Kyo to give him a bear hug. "Bye bye, Kyon-Kyon! Come see us soon, OK! And bring with you lots of high school girls in their short skirt uniforms!"

"P—PERVERTED INU!" Kyo stuttered in embarrassment. In the background, Tohru merely laughed while Yuki and Kazuma both gaped at Shigure, wondering what on earth had the dog been drinking this morning.

"Ah, right, I think that's enough now, Shigure. It's not like you won't be seeing Kyo again, right?" Kazuma helpfully pried Shigure from Kyo before opening the door out. "Have a nice day, everyone. We'll be off now."

"Bye Kyonichii! Bye Kazuma-sensei!"

"Take care of yourselves, Kyo-kun!"

"…Yeah. Bye." Kyo whispered. And after one last good look at them—the people he had called home for about three years now—he stepped out and shut the door behind him.

"So how did it go?" Kureno asked the group of men before him, all dressed as repairmen carrying toolboxes of different sizes.

* * *

"The job's done, Kureno-san." The man in front, obviously the leader, replied. "We've installed the items on the rooms you have requested."

"Are you sure they won't be easily detected? Akito-sama specifically stressed how important this was to remain a secret, especially from the dojo master. He is quite perceptive."

"Not to worry, sir. We made sure that they were very well hidden. The only way you can find them is if you used a metal detector on the walls." The leader said.

"Hmm, I'm curious, though, how did you manage to get them in the other rooms? Wasn't your repair job specifically in that office?"

"Yes, well we told the sensei's assistant that we may need to check the other rooms for any other electrical problems in the other rooms. Standard procedure, we said. The boy fell for it like a kitten on catnip! This installation job was even easier than the one we did back at the teacher's house earlier!" The man smirked, obviously pleased with himself.

Kureno however was not but held his tongue. "I see. Very well then, here is your pay for a job well done. Akito-sama sends his gratitude."

And after watching the group's car drive away, Kureno's polite mask dropped into a deep frown.

"Akito-sama, what are you up to this time, having those things installed in Kazuma-san's dojo and residence?" Kureno crossed his arms, sighing deeply in contemplation. "And to make things worse, you just have to use me to see through this twisted game. I…I just wish you would help me understand…why are you doing all this?"

The wind of course had no reply to his queries. Instead, it blew and gently messed up his brownish red hair.

Sighing, Kureno brushed his bangs back before turning to the dojo. "Guess there's only one more thing left to do now."

* * *

Meanwhile, back to Kyo and Kazuma, the two had arrived back in Kazuma's home without further incident. Kyo then had immediately moved up to his room to unpack his things.

"I'll be dropping by the dojo in a while, Kyo. Do you want to come along or do you want to stay put?" The boy heard his teacher's voice float down the hall.

"I'll, uh, just come along with you then. No point staying here when I'm bored to death." Kyo answered. "Mind if I rest a bit though."

"No, go right ahead. I'll be heading for the dojo around one anyway."

With that, Kyo finished storing the last of his clothes in his closet before kicking his shoes off and lying on his back on his futon.

"It's official, I've moved back in." Kyo muttered, staring blankly at the ceiling. _I wish I could say it's good to be back, but I obviously can't. Life just loves dumping shit on me, doesn't it?_

After a good while of looking at the ceiling, Kyo then sat up abruptly with eyes wide. "Oh, right!"

The boy then stood from his bed and looked around, almost warily, before settling down near his desk.

"Well, since I've got a few minutes, might as well see what Shigure's slipped into my jacket earlier." He muttered so softly even he couldn't almost hear himself. "Damn, that guy can be such a schemer! I wouldn't have even noticed if he hadn't pointed it out."

Even though the memory of Shigure's hug still freaked him out a bit, it was one of those times when Kyo would remember that everything Shigure did had some form of purpose.  
That hug was no exception. Because along with it came a whisper of, "Check the left pocket."

And after digging through the said pocket, Kyo's eyes widened when he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.

_A letter? _Kyo raised an eyebrow in confusion. It never occurred to him that Shigure was a letters sort of person. He always thought of his older cousin as too much of a talker to even need to write anything he wanted to say.

Unless it was something that was better off not being heard by anyone else.

In other words, this may have something to do with Akito's new bet with Kyo.

A pit formed in Kyo's stomach at the thought. What could this letter possibly contain? Was whatever written in here supposed to help him or deceive him?

Can Shigure be trusted at all?

_You'll never know until you open it, baka._

With that in mind, Kyo lifted an unsteady hand to slowly open the letter.

* * *

A few minutes before 1 PM

RING! RING! RING!

"Hello, Kureno?"

"Shigure, how have you been?"  
"Me? Oh, good, very good, thank you for asking! In fact, I'm on a roll now with my new manuscripts today! Imagine, just this morning I've already finished—"

"Err, yes, fantastic news, I'm sure but you do know that's not what I'm calling about right?"

"…Ah, is it about our beloved neko? He just moved out this morning."

"So I've heard. And have you done what Akito-sama told you to?"

"Deliver the news to Kyo then rattle him a bit? Yeah, done like dinner as usual. Don't I always do a good job?"

"…We both know how damn good you are, Shigure, and that's what's troubling me. Akito-sama isn't the only player in this family, after all."

"Ah cousin, how your words wound me!"

"…You'd better not do anything funny, Shigure."

"Who? Me? My, that's quite an accusation, coming from someone who's about to—"

"It's not like I wanted to do this! Shigure, this mess is already big enough as it is. Don't make things any worse."

"And what makes you think I'll do just that?"

"Because you're you."

"Hmm, fair point."

"Hey, Shigure?"

"Yeah?"

"Give me a straight answer here, will you? Whose…whose side are you on with this?"

"…"

"Shigure?"

"Why, mine, of course. And whether that's better or worse is entirely up to you."

"…"

CLICK!

* * *

OWARI

…That wasn't just a cliffhanger, was it? Ah Snapple! (Ducks flying fruit)

Woah, what an update! 2000+ words? At 12 in the morning? Hah, no wonder!

Thanks loads, minna-san. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Q: Just how many among characters are you going to involve in this?

A: As much as I can without going overboard. The beauty of Furuba comes from its unique cast, after all.

Q: Can you give a hint on what Akito is planning? Really?

A: Part of the reason is because of, as stated above, his entertainment. Though there is a far more sinister reason. One hint I can give is that it has something to do with the curse. :D

Q: Will there be romance in your fic?

A: No, hardly any. There will be sprinkling of Yukiru or HatsuRin (if ever) here and there, but that's about it. This is a Kyo and Kazuma centric fic, after all.

Q: Wow that monologue up there with Kyo was something else! What's up with that?

A: I'd like to make it look that Kyo's starting to mature in this fic, thus making him look deeper into himself and ask these questions (which to me make perfect sense). The more philosophical Kyo will make itself more visible in the following chapters, especially since he has a lot to brood about.

Q: So will Kyo ever tell Tohru his feelings for her? What's gonna happen then?

A: As I've made clear in the previous chapters, this fic will NOT turn into Kyoru (sorry, not just my pairing). However, I will make sure that this confession does happen, because the closure that comes after will be necessary—not just for Kyo and Tohru, but also for some other characters. ;)

Q: So what are those…items Akito had ordered to be installed in Kazuma's dojo and house? Will Kyo ever find out about them?

A: Hidden cameras? Maybe. In this twisted game of wits, it can be just about anything! And as for Kyo finding out, we'll just have to wait and see.

Q: Oh, random question—when did Shigure slip the note in Kyo's pocket?

A: Actually, it was earlier on, when Shigure had his arm around Kyo during their upstairs talk. I just wanted to put that hug scene in. ^_^

That's it for now guys. Please don't forget to leave a review. Those are like…energy drinks for writers! Can't last long without them! Can't get enough of them either! :D

JD


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